Musicians On Stage with Actors

What do pianists gain from working with actors?

PianoArts alum, Professor Jacob Ertl has performed musical works with actors on several occasions. In a talk back following his performance of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird with actors Linda Stephens and Norman Moses narrating the story, Jacob discussed the artistry and his personal experience of collaborating with artists from different disciplines.  

"With the words, 'Once upon a time,' the actors set the mood for the musical story. The timbers and colors of their spoken voices set the stage for the music which I believe was more powerful because of the contrast." 

The collaboration affected the pacing, the way the actors and pianist projected the work to the audience, and the intensity of the drama. Even the silences became more dramatic. One of the members of the audience, who had not seen the ballet, was very excited about the interplay of the music and the narrative. For the first time, she fully experienced the drama of Stravinsky's music.  

Future PianoArts performances with narrators will include suites for piano arranged from opera and ballet scores. Programs will include Stravinsky's Petrouchka and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with a script based on the original tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann.